Lock for switch-operating devices.



1S. G. WELLS. Loom fon SWITCH oPEaATlNG DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.Z6. i916.

Patente Nov. 5, 1918.

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s. G. WELLS. LOCK FUR SWITCH OPERATING DEVICES,

APPLICATION FJLED SEPT-2E, 191B.

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SAMUEL G. "WELLS, OF 0111012.60, ILLNOIS.

LOCK FOR SWITCH-OPERATING DEVCES. i

meines.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented ltlov. t1, 1912..

Application filed September 26, 1916. Serial No. 122,220.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, SAMUEL (i. llVnLLs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city ot' Chicago, county of Cook, and State of llinois, haveinvented certa-innew `and `useful Improvements in Locks for Switch-Operatin Devices, of which the tollowing is a` speci 'cation u My invention relates to improvements in locking devices designed `:tor use especially` c in connection with switch operating mecha-- nism, and has `for its object the production of a device of this character, through the me- :diuin of which, a switch :operating device inaytbe readily and `quieklyflockcd in ad- ,justed position. and which may be readily and. easily` unlocked by a switchman in `throwing the switch. `Aurther object is the .l production of a lockingdevice, as mentioned,

which will `besoidurable and economical construction, `one which will tbe `proof against @the weather, andwhichwwill be highly edicient in use. @then objects will appear hereinail-ter.

"'.l'he invention consists inthe combinations ,and arrangements of. parte hereinafter del scribed and claimed.

The-invention willwbe best understood by `reference to :the accompanying drawings forming apart of this specificatioinand in which,

F'gurevl is a perspective `view of a con ventional form of. railwayswitch operating `mechanism equipped with a lock, embodying f the invention,

l Fig. 2, a front elevation ofthe lock, showing the lever, which islocked thereby, in

. section,

:l Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2, with the front plate of thehousing oli the lock removed,

`Fig. l, a section taken on line of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5, a viewlsimilar to Fig. 3, showing another form of the lock,

Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 5, except thatthelock` is shown in unlocked position,

tially circular forni in which is provided an upwardly openingsocket 2 which is adapted to receive the lever 1 as shown in the several views. l-lousing 2 is provided with a suitable base 3 whereby the saine may be rigidly secured to a railway tie or other suitable support. rlhe front side of housing 2 is `closed by a platea which is secured in posi tion by meansoi' screws 5. p

Provided centrally in the housing 2 isa studfor shaft 6 upon which is `rotatably mounted alatch 7. rlhe latch .7 is formed with `two stop lugs 8 and 9, as shownin the form of the lock illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Cooperating with the latch 7 f is a mally `hold said latch in unlocked or. inoperative position. ln this position of said latch, the lug 8 is inretracted position in the housl. ing 2, the lug-9, however, being positioned totraverse the socket 2 so that upon down ward rocking of the lever 1 into engagement with saidsocket, thesame will engage kwith thedlug 9 and cause the latch 7 to berotated into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. ln

`helical tension spring 10 adapted to northe rocking or said latch into this position,

the lug 8 will be moved into engagement with the upper side of the .lever fandthus `serve as anieans oiiholding` or `locking the saine in` position in socket 2. `Said latch` is `locked in the last mentioned or operative position by meansof a pawl or loclringmember 11 which is pivoted at 12 to one side ot said latch. Said pawl cooperates witha stop lug 13 projecting `trom the bottom of housing` 2, a helical torsionalspring 14 coperating `with. said pawl whereby, in the rocking of latch 7 to :operative or locking-.position, asjust described, said pawl will be brought into operative relation with the lug 13, as clearly shown in Fig. `3, and thus et feet automatic locking of the latch in operative or loclring position. Unlocking of lever 1 may be effected only` throughthe medium of a key which may be inserted through `a key hole 15 formed in the plate d, a ley thus inserted, vbeing adapted, upon rotation, to engage with the lower edge ol" pawl 11 and raise the saine from operative relation with stop lug 13. A stop lug 16 is also formed in housing 2 tor limiting downward rocking of the latch to operative position as shown in Figs. `2 and 3.

ln the form shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, a latch 7 is formed with stop lugs 8 and 9" for cooperation with lever 1, said latch being iet iio

locked in operative or locking position by means of a pawl 17 which is pivotally mounted in housing 2 as at 18. Said pawl 17 is adapted for engagement with a stop shoulder 19 provided at the upper end of the latch, said latch being cut away as at 20 to aiiord" clearance for the pawl upon upward rocking of the latter, to permit of movement of the latch to unlocked position under thek influence of spring 10. In this form one end of spring 10 is connected with pawl 17 so that said spring serves the double function of means for normally holding said pawl in operative position and for rotating the latch to releasing position, when said latch is unlocked. The pawl 17 is rocked to releasing position through the medium of a cam 21 which is pivotally mounted upon the stud 6 of housing 2. A torsional spring 22 cooperates with the cam 21 to normally hold the same at its lower or inoperative position against a stop 23. rIhe 'arrangement is such that upon upward rockf ing of said cam, the same 1s adapted to engage against the adjacent curved end of pawl 17 thereby eiiiecting upward rocking of the same to releasing position. This movement of said cam is effected by means of va key, shown in dotted lines at 211 in Fig. 6, which may be inserted through a key hole 25- formed in the plate 4.

' With the construction set forth it will be a key of proper form into the key hole and rotate the same as above described. The construction is simple and economical, the same being not susceptible to readily become inoperative. In order to eii'ectually exclude the weather, the cover 4 is formed with an internal shoulder as clearly shown in Figs.

4 and 7 which forms a broken joint between said cover and the housing. An annular flange 26 at the inner side of cover 4 is provided for engagement with the flanged front side of the latch in order to guide the latter in the rocking or oscillatory movement of the same.

Gopies of 'this patent may be obtained for While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into ei'ect, this is capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a lock of the class described, the combination with a lever to be locked, o'l a housing having a socket therein adapted to receive said lever; a latch rotatably mounted in said housing adapted to hold said lever in position in said socket; stops on said latch adapted for engagement with said lever; means for locking said latch against rotary movement; and resilient means for automatically moving said locking means into operative relation with said latch upon rotation of the latter into operative position and fornormally holding said locking means in operative position and for rotating said latch to releasing position when said latch is' unlocked, substantially as described.

2. In a lock ofthe class described, the combination with a lever to be locked, of a housing having a socket therein adapted to receive said lever; a latch rotatably mounted in said housing to hold said lever in position in said socket; stops on said latch adapted for engagement with said lever; a pivotally mounted pawl for locking said latch against rotary movement; and resilient means connecting said pawl and said latch for automatically rocking said pawl into operative relation with said latch upon rotation of the latter into operative position and for normally holding said pawl in operative position and for rotating said latch to releasing position when said latch is unlocked, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL G. WELLS.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. PoT'rs, CoRA F. SGHIEBER.

iive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Intenta, Washington, D. C. 

